SAN PEDRO,
CA--February 24, 2012: Working
together to build a more prosperous and sustainable future was
the focus of the Third Pacific
Ports Clean Air Collaborative Conference (PPCAC) held this week at
the Port of Los Angeles. The international conference, which
concluded
today, drew about 125 participants representing ports from around the
Pacific Rim, Asia, the Americas, Europe and Australia. Also on hand
for
the two-day conference were representatives from well-known shipping
and
cruise lines, terminal operators, regulatory agencies, think tanks
and
environmental consultants. Click
here for participating organizations.

"Enormous gains have been made in reducing emissions
tied to goods
movement," said Jared Blumenfeld, Administrator for the
U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Pacific Southwest Region, who was a
keynote speaker at the conference and urged attendees to continue
their
efforts. "But as the U.S. moves toward its goal of
increasing exports,
we need to make goods movement cleaner. Not only is it better for the
environment, it also helps improve the health of those who live in
the
desperately disadvantaged communities where many of these rail,
trucking
and shipping hubs are located."

Under the theme "Changes for a Sustainable
Future," conference
participants exchanged strategies for greening the supply chain,
combating climate change, identifying business opportunities for
environmental innovation, and Corporate Social Responsibility
approaches
to partnering with communities for responsible port development.
Participants networked under the guiding principle of the
"Triple Bottom
Line," whose three pillars are environmental protection,
economic
prosperity and social responsibility.

"This week in Los Angeles, ports and their partners
around the globe
demonstrated they are more committed than ever to pooling our
resources
and expertise so the economic, social and environmental benefits of
trade reach everyone," said Port of Los Angeles Executive
Director
Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. "As the birthplace of numerous
cutting-edge
environmental initiatives -- including the first
Pacific Ports
Clean Air Collaborative -- the Port of Los
Angeles is honored to
continue its role as a global leader in advancing healthier, better
business practices in the port and maritime industries,"
Knatz said.

The Third PPCAC was a working conference during which panelists
representing ports and their partners shared best practices, emerging
standards, state-of-the-art technology, and scientific and technical
know-how behind environmental projects and initiatives. Workshops
included discussions about current and future trends in terminal
automation terminals, port related emissions reductions strategies,
and
shrinking port carbon footprints to mitigate climate change.

Speakers also shared valuable, on-the-ground experience implementing
environmental strategies. The Climate Change session included a
presentation on Japanese ports in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami
and
earthquakes and the challenge of making infrastructure decisions in
the
face of rising sea levels.

The Port of Los Angeles teamed up with its sister port, the Port of
Shanghai, to launch the groundbreaking conference in Los Angeles in
2006. The second conference followed in Shanghai in 2008.

In addition to the U.S. and China, Pacific Rim nations represented at
this week's conference were Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan,
Korea, Australia,
Chile, Mexico and Canada. European nations represented were Denmark
and
the Netherlands.

Participants represented ports, shipping lines, terminal operators,
railroads, trucking, regulatory agencies, universities, equipment
manufacturers, community and other groups. Many are also members of
the
World Ports Climate Initiative, a project of the International
Associations of Ports and Harbors (IAPH).

The focus on sustainability expands upon PPCAC's
initial emphasis on air
pollution reduction. It also speaks to a broader environmental ethic
uniting an industry that has made major strides in combating
pollution
and is committed to making more progress going forward, said Knatz,
who
is also the current president of IAPH.

"The maritime industry is embracing its responsibility
to tackle tough
problems together," she said. "Our success and
our future depend on it."

The Port
of Los Angeles is America's premier port and has a
strong commitment
to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that
benefit the economy as well as the quality of life for the region and
the nation it serves. As the leading seaport in North America in
terms
of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port supports more
than 830,000 regional jobs and $35 billion in annual wages and tax
revenues.